College ROI

Smarter Choices, Brighter Futures
Back to Colleges

SUNY College at Potsdam

Potsdam, NY 1,823 Undergrads 52.7% Grad Rate
School Website|Financial Calculator
Share
Total Cost
$25,083
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$13,624
After Aid
Median Earnings
$49,169
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$13,624
Peer Midpoint: $20,081
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$49,169
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$47,866
Peer Midpoint: $53,763
Graduation Rate52.7%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average Starting Age20.5
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients44.1%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time95.7%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS66.5%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
77.7%
SAT Avg
-
SAT Reading
25th: --75th: -
SAT Math
25th: --75th: -
ACT Composite
25th: --75th: -

ROI Sensitivity Analysis
Assuming 4 Years to Graduation

This analysis tests three cost scenarios (Scholarship, Average Net Price, Full Sticker Price) to show how college costs impact your long-term return compared to the average student and a high school graduate.

Lifetime Value Added (NPV)

Institution Lifetime NPV
Vs Median Peer
Vs HS Grad
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
+$447k
-$20k
-$38k
Median Cost$14k/yr
+$398k
-$69k
-$87k
Full Cost$25k/yr
+$356k
-$111k
-$128k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
Never
-∞
Median Cost$14k/yr
Never
-177%
Full Cost$25k/yr
Never
-142%
Analysis Assumptions:
  • Starting Salary: Estimated from the 4-year post-graduation median earnings (assuming 2% annual growth from graduation).
  • Comparisons: "Vs Median Peer" compares to the median student nationwide in a similar level program. "Vs HS Grad" compares to a median high school graduate.
  • Break-Even: The age at which the college investment net income exceeds the median high school graduate's lifetime earnings.
  • NPV: Net Present Value of all future earnings minus costs and taxes, discounted at 7.8%.

Social Impact ROINew

Measures the societal return on a donor's investment. Calculated as the incremental pre-tax lifetime earnings vs. HS grad, divided by the tax-adjusted donation cost.

Donor Return-152%

Gov. Pell Grant ROINew

Measures the government's return on Pell Grants via increased tax revenue. Calculated as the portion of incremental lifetime taxes (discounted at 5.4%) attributed to the Pell Grant investment.

Taxpayer Return-88%
Important Note: Your ROI with any major will depend on the cost you pay to attend the program, and your starting salary. Both vary significantly across institutions. We encourage you to explore the ROI of a specific program variant by selecting the Program title of the credential level you are interested in. You will then have a more detailed return analysis for programs at specific institutions. We also encourage you to use the ROI calculator, or for more sophisticated analysis, the Guided ROI Interview, with your specific estimates of cost and salary.

Program ROI Analysis

Bachelor's Degrees

Anthropology
BachCIP: 4502
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$25,194
Natl Median: $46,676
Lifetime Value Added
-$285k
Archeology
BachCIP: 4503
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,748
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management
BachCIP: 5010
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$52,583
Natl Median: $48,240
Lifetime Value Added
-$58k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,466
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$23,041
Earnings (4yr)
$49,725
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
-$82k
Median Debt
$22,562
Earnings (4yr)
$57,066
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
-$21k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $77,981
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,120
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (4yr)
$43,686
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
-$133k
Computer Science
BachCIP: 1107
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$104,292
Natl Median: $107,009
Lifetime Value Added
+$327k
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$53,597
Natl Median: $55,378
Lifetime Value Added
-$50k
Dance
BachCIP: 5003
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $39,980
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$26,208
Earnings (4yr)
$33,581
Natl Median: $39,775
Lifetime Value Added
-$220k
Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $82,686
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$24,412
Earnings (4yr)
$48,920
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
-$89k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $51,710
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$30,688
Natl Median: $41,367
Lifetime Value Added
-$246k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$62,004
Natl Median: $60,190
Lifetime Value Added
+$18k
Median Debt
$26,706
Earnings (4yr)
$50,659
Natl Median: $61,296
Lifetime Value Added
-$74k
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
$21,500
Earnings (4yr)
$45,234
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
-$120k
International/Globalization Studies
BachCIP: 3020
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $59,972
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
$22,191
Earnings (5yr)
$51,887
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
-$73k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,693
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
$26,262
Earnings (4yr)
$36,677
Natl Median: $42,892
Lifetime Value Added
-$194k
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (5yr)
$38,661
Natl Median: $55,012
Lifetime Value Added
-$183k
Philosophy
BachCIP: 3801
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $54,455
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Physics
BachCIP: 4008
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $76,786
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $62,172
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$48,601
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$92k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$38,562
Natl Median: $48,471
Lifetime Value Added
-$177k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,000
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$51,086
Natl Median: $52,657
Lifetime Value Added
-$71k
Median Debt
$23,850
Earnings (4yr)
$53,834
Natl Median: $47,382
Lifetime Value Added
-$48k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$57,949
Natl Median: $51,389
Lifetime Value Added
-$14k
Median Debt
$26,474
Earnings (4yr)
$33,743
Natl Median: $41,688
Lifetime Value Added
-$219k

Master's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$59,773
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
-$150k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $63,399
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $70,644
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Mathematics
MastCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$41,565
Natl Median: $62,739
Lifetime Value Added
-$298k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$59,529
Natl Median: $64,397
Lifetime Value Added
-$153k
Median Debt
$27,849
Earnings (5yr)
$53,435
Natl Median: $59,916
Lifetime Value Added
-$209k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$55,064
Natl Median: $63,707
Lifetime Value Added
-$194k

Graduate Certificates

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,147
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Note: Lifetime Value Added is the Net Present Value (NPV) of estimated career earnings relative to a median high school graduate (for undergraduate programs) or a median bachelor's degree holder (for graduate programs), accounting for this institution's average cost and taxes. Computed over a career to retirement age.

For graduate programs (Master's, Doctoral, etc.), the calculation assumes a starting age of 22 (after undergraduate completion) and does not include the sunk costs of prior degrees. It represents the value added of the graduate decision moving forward. Note that the institution's average undergraduate net price is used as a proxy for annual cost, which may differ from actual graduate tuition. These Lifetime Value Added results for graduate degrees should not be compared with those for Undergraduate Certificates, Associates or Bachelors.

Completers Only: Federal median earnings data strictly reflects outcomes for students who successfully graduated. Students who do not complete their degree typically earn significantly less and face higher risks of debt default.